The Weight of Us
by majestyofhearts
Summary: Post-war. Returning to the way things used to be is impossible, but striving forward seems to be too. Babe Heffron realizes this much when he returns home after the war and tries to pick up his life. But maybe, just maybe, he can find support in a young nurse who is struggling just as badly as he is.
1. For The First Time

******This is my first time writing Band of Brothers fanfiction, aswell as using an OC so bare with me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers, as much as I wished to. This is based on the characters in the series as they are portrayed in the series and I mean no disrespect to the real characters, whom I respect deeply.**

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**Chapter 1**

_November 1945, South Philadelphia_

The city was in full swing now that the war was officially over. As the soldiers returned from overseas, Philadelphia flourished once again with the hustle and bustle of young people enjoying themselves. It was almost as if the war had never happened. A lie of course, because it still lived on in the hearts and minds of the soldiers and nurses who faced the horrors of war and the citizens who had lost family members to it. But it did not stop people from celebrating, far from it. Everybody needed a boost, something to get them through the day and what better way was there than to get on with life as they had before the war?

She was sure she was only one of the many females who were currently preparing for a night out, searching to fill the empty void that for the past few years had been filled with sadness and fear. Her fingers worked expertly as she pinned a few of her brown locks up with pins, the rest of her hair falling down her shoulders in loose curls. After applying a bit of lipstick to her lips she took a deep breath and checked her appearance in the mirror. She looked decent enough. For once her hair had cooperated, and the small amount of make-up she had applied seemed to make her brown eyes bigger. But the longer she stared at herself in the mirror, the more eager she became to undo her work. It felt wrong to spend half an evening deciding what to wear and dolling herself up when previously she had spend her days taking care of the wounded. Trying to make them as comfortable as possible, trying to keep them alive. After the tumult of the war, she felt uncomfortable to go back to the way things were before. This was in fact her first night out, an idea courtesy of her friend Anna because she spend most of her evenings cooped up in the small apartment they shared. She had thoughtlessly agreed at the time, but now all courage left her. Quite frankly, she was scared as hell to go out there again, as silly as it sounded. How on earth could she pretend that everything was normal? Inside she was screaming, but was she expected to pretend she was okay? However, before she could even act on the idea of not going and started to reach for the pins in her hair, Anna burst into her room as the very picture of excitement.

"All ready to go?" she exclaimed, marching to Emilie's side. "You're not even dressed yet!" she then observed with a frown. Emilie flitted uncomfortably under Anna's gaze as the latter fixed her with a stare. She was quite sure her friend knew exactly what was going through her mind right now, and if there was one thing Emilie knew about Anna, it was that she never gave up once she had something in her mind. Unfortunately for Emilie, that meant going out on this particular night and there was nothing she could do to get out of it.

Coming to this conclusion, Emilie turned around with a sigh and regarded the articles of clothing that she had gathered in a pile on her bed. All the dresses she owned were either horribly old or didn't fit with the image Emilie had in her mind of the dress she wanted to wear. One was too formal, while the other was too casual for her taste. Anna seemed to agree since she tutted her lips in disapproval. Emilie would have been affronted, was it not for the fact that for once she agreed with her friend. Without another word Anna turned on her heels and strode from the room. When she came back, Emilie felt herself smile for the first time that evening as her friend held up a dress of her own. It was a beautiful shade of red and already she was in love with the garment. She took the piece of clothing and slipped it on. Anna helped her tie the black ribbon around her waist and they both stood before the mirror to watch her. It was a nice dress; covering the most crucial parts and not revealing too much, tight around the waist thanks to the ribbon and with a flared skirt to her knees that moved whenever she did. She turned her head to look at Anna. "Will it do?" she asked, surprising even herself with how amused her own voice sounded.

Anna laughed. "This will do just fine!" she said and smiled fondly at her. "Now let's go, or all the good men might just be taken!"

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Her feet felt like hell and her cheeks were on fire from the warmth. However, despite everything she was enjoying herself immensely. She had lost track of time a long time ago as she danced with every men that came her way, while also trying to keep an eye out for her mischievous friend. She had failed that task, for she had lost sight of Anna about half an hour ago but Emilie was sure her friend would turn up soon enough and that it was not worth the search. Instead she kept on dancing, laughing as her charming partner twirled her around. She had not expected herself to have so much fun, but she was and she was immensely glad that Anna had dragged her out here.

When at last her throat felt so dry that she could barely utter a word, she bade goodbye to her partner and made her way over to the bar in search of something to drink. With a bit of a struggle she managed to snatch up an empty bar stool, squashed between a couple on her left and a red-haired man on her right who was quietly conversing to his neighbor. She paid no mind to either of them, using all her concentration on trying to catch the barman's attention. That was until a familiar voice caught her attention. She took another glance at the two men to her right then yelped out a surprised "Bill!" as she realized who it was. The redhead glanced up in surprise, his light eyes taking in her appearance before his gaze flitted to his neighbor. The other man looked just as surprised, doing a double take on her before recognition dawned in his eyes.

Quickly, Emilie hopped off her seat and crossed the redhead to reach Bill's side, pure delight filling her being after not having seen him for such a long time. She kissed him on the cheek then took in his appearance, finally noting that he looked good, better than he had looked the last time she saw him. "Wild Bill, it's so good to see you again! You look well," she said, smile widening when he grinned back at her. "You don't like so bad yourself Em," he drawled with his Philly-accent.

Emilie had met Bill Guarnere in the hospital where she had just been stationed after her return from Europe some time before the war was over. She had been granted with the task of helping him with his recovery, making sure to help him get along with his artificial leg as best as possible. Upon their first meeting he had already struck her as a real gentlemen despite his mischievous attitude and for the remainder of his stay in the hospital they had gotten along great.

Emilie was shaken from her thoughts when someone cleared their throat. She glanced up the source of the sound and found that Bill's red-headed friend was looking at the both of them with such a confused face that it nearly made her laugh.

"Em, this is Babe Heffron. He served in Easy Company with me," Bill said with a proud tone in his voice, one that Emilie had also detected in the past every time he talked of Easy Company. "Babe, this is Emilie Roché. She's a nurse in the hospital I stayed at."

"Pleased to meet you," Babe said politely as he shook her outstretched hand. After the quick introduction, Emilie reclaimed her seat next to Babe and waved the barman over while her two companions recounted funny stories. They remained that way for a while, her listening to the two men with the occasional question thrown in while taking sips from her drink. Both Bill and Babe insisted on buying her drinks like the gentlemen they were. Their company was wonderful and the alcohol made her relaxed, all thoughts of war, blood and agony momentarily forgotten as she simply _enjoyed_ herself.

After some time she noticed that Babe's attention was longer on the conversation but on the dancers, his fingers drumming on the wooden surface of the bar to the beat of the music. She felt a pang of disappointment when he silently sprang to his feet, clearly about to leave her and Bill when she was taken by surprise.

"Do you dance, Miss Roché?" he asked with a hopeful smile, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "I sure do," Emilie answered happily as she got to her feet and placed her hand in Babe's, his fingers curling around hers. He led her to the dancefloor after Bill convinced the both of them he was fine on his own for a while. Emilie could just make out Bill's wink when she glanced over her shoulder for a moment.

"I have one condition though," she said when they stopped on the dancefloor, glancing up at Babe's handsome face. "You have to stop calling me Miss Roché. It's either Emilie or a nickname, take your pick," she said. The apprehension in his eyes disappeared as he grinned widely at her.

"Sure thing, I think I can do that," he promised before his fingers curled once again around her own and he started to lead her through the room to the beat of the cheery swing music, immediately proving to her that he was an excellent dancer. His laughter mixing with her own made her heart swell and for the first time since the war was over she felt _glad_ to be alive.

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**That was it for the first chapter. I haven't seen many post-war fanfictions so I thought I'd give it a shot. You know very little yet about Babe or my OC, but be patient, it'll come. Next chapter will be from Babe's pov. **

**_ Review to let me know what you think so far! (:_**


	2. Lost and Found

******Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers, as much as I wished to. This is based on the characters in the series as they are portrayed in the series and I mean no disrespect to the real characters, whom I respect deeply.**

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**Chapter 2**

Coming home after all that had happened, after all he had seen and done was nothing like he had expected. He had spent many hours fantasizing about it while he watched the line or tried to catch some sleep in a cold foxhole, imagining what it felt like to be reunited with his family, to be in South-Philly again. Nonetheless the reality was good and every kind of refreshing, despite everything. He had felt utterly relieved when he was reunited with his family, wrapped in their embraces that were combined with tears and joyful laughter. However, once that was over, Babe was unsure what to do with himself. What did he do next? He had gotten so used to the drill of war, of being told what to do and obeying orders that he felt a little lost. As much as he hated to admit it, going back into the real world scared the hell out of him, even more so than any Kraut attack ever had. He had known how to handle himself in combat, but nobody had given him a clue what the hell he was supposed to do once all that was done.

It felt all wrong to be in his parents' house, sleeping again in the room that he no longer considered his own. Nothing in his room had changed during his absence, but he had was once again reminded that he was no longer the Babe he used to be. With his 19 years old when he enlisted he had already considered himself a man. He now realized he had been but a boy with a fair share of arrogance and incredibly eager to prove himself. His room was a boy's room, his bed did not feel like his own, he had outgrown most of his clothes and all other items were that of a boy too. To his horror these even included pictures of his sweetheart at the time, Doris, who had so ungraciously dumped him in a letter just before his first jump.

All in all, the room made him uncomfortable, but it were the nightmares that haunted him and set him on edge. They first came when Easy Company was stationed in Austria, most probably because it was the first time in forever that they weren't under the constant strain of close combat and had some time to relax. The nightmares did not visit him often then, but as soon as he returned home they plagued him every night with images of the friends he had lost and the people he had killed. His family did not call him out on it, instead choosing to pretend as if they did not hear him scream in the dead of night. Babe figured they thought it would stop eventually, he hoped so too after all, but they didn't. The nightmares worsened with every passing night and he suffered in silence. He couldn't possibly tell his parents what he had seen in combat or describe the images that haunted him, he wouldn't even know where to begin.

If he wasn't at home he was working, picking up odd jobs wherever he could in order to save some money. Help found him in the form of Bill Guarnere, no longer a whole man but still every bit as nice as Babe remembered him and sporting an admiring amount of optimism. In a few weeks' time he and Bill became the greatest of friends, even more so than they had been during the war.

It was Bill who alerted him of the small apartment close by his parental home that was for rent and Babe took the opportunity with both hands. It allowed him a fresh start, a chance to begin his life anew while he sorted out how to deal with his ghosts and what he wanted from his life.

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_December 1945, South Philadelphia_

Babe made his way through the crowds in an attempt to get outside, desperate to get some fresh air. He pushed past a young woman and at last he reached the door, stumbling outside. He inhaled deeply, a wheezing sound escaping his lips when he exhaled again. He had not thought that he would ever feel this way again but it was just his luck to get catch a bad cold again just as he had almost a year ago. Except back then he had been coughing his lungs out in the freezing cold, huddled in a foxhole while he now had a roof above his head and a warm bed.

Walking forward, Babe lowered himself down on the edge of the sidewalk , quickly clamping his hand over his mouth as another series of coughs made him bent double in pain. The endless plumes of smoke from lit cigarettes that floated around in the crowded bar certainly did not help his cold and he silently cursed himself for having agreed to Bill and Frannie's invite to have a few drinks. Going outside seemed to help very little and Babe felt incredibly frustrated.

A hand on his shoulder startled him and he whirled around, ready to warn the person never to surprise him like that again when he fell silent. Concerned brown eyes met his own as he glanced up at none other than Emilie, the girl Bill had introduced him to a few weeks prior. She had kind of slipped from his mind, until now. She was clad in a grey nurse uniform with no make-up on her face and her hair tied back in a loose bun. She looked like a completely different person compared to last time Babe had seen her, but he would still recognize her pretty face anywhere.

"Babe, it's been a while," she said as she let go of his shoulder and lowered herself down on the pavement next to him. The way she said his name reminded him a bit of Eugene, bringing a smile to his own face as he remembered the dark-haired Cajun.

"It has, how have you been?" he asked before he swiftly bowed forward again, coughing so hard that it hurt his ribs and made bile rise in his throat. Once he straightened up again he gave her a small smile but she seemed less than impressed. "I think I should be asking you that," she pointed out. "Why in god's name are you out here when you have a cold like that?"

Babe gave a halfhearted shrug as he snuggled deeper into his coat for extra warmth. "It's not as bad as it seems. It was worse in Bastogne," he mumbled "I'm having a drink with Bill and his girlfriend Frannie."

That emitted a laugh from Emilie. "So I can see," she said with a roll of her eye and he chuckled. Sitting there silently for a moment, Babe watched as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear while staring off in the distance. He noticed suddenly how tired she looked with dark bags under her eyes and pale skin. Not really sure how to comment on it without coming off as rude, he shrugged it aside and instead opted for a different question. "Would you like to join us?"

Emilie glanced up at him hesitantly. The short shake of her head made him feel a bit disappointed. "I've just finished my shift at the hospital and all I really want to do is go home and sleep," she admitted, scrambling to her feet again.

Babe got up with a frown. "It's not really safe to be walking home by yourself at this hour," he commented. He cringed slightly when she fixed him with a fierce glare, but pushed his luck and continued anyway. "May I walk you home?"

Emilie regarded him for a moment, standing indecisively as she rocked back on forth on her heels. "Fine," she declared at last, smiling slightly. "But only because I enjoy your company, not because I need protection."

Babe did not need to be told twice. "Wait here, I'm going to say goodbye to Bill and Frannie," he said, cringing slightly at the sound of his raspy voice. He pushed his way through the busy bar once again and reached the table his friends had occupied feeling slightly breathless. He barely needed to explain anything as the couple waved him off with smiles and a wink from Bill, whom Babe was quite sure liked to play matchmaker more than he let on.

When he made his out again, Emilie was still standing in the exact same spot, except that she was now surrounded by three guys. Nearing them, Babe could tell that they were clearly drunk and trying to chat her up.

"How about we show you how to have a good time? You can play doctor on me," one sneered, making a grab for Emilie's arm.

Taking his cue, Babe stepped forward. "Hey, why don't you go pick on someone your own size who is actually available?" he called out, trying his best to not make a fool of himself and start coughing desperately again. He reached Emilie's side and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

"Is she with you?" one of the men asked him. Babe fixed the three guys with a glare. "Yes, so get lost," he exclaimed. That seemed to do the job and the two of them watched the men saunter off reluctantly.

Letting his arm drop to his side, he turned to face Emilie. "I guess Bill was right about you," she murmured, looking up at him with a grateful smile. Babe raised his eyebrows in confusion. "He talked about you when he was in the hospital," she explained as she started walking.

"Really, what did he say?" Babe asked in curiosity. Looping her arm through his own, he tried to match his long strides to her slower pace. When she did not answer, he glanced down at her. She was huddled close to his side as if seeking warmth while she led him the right way, gloved fingers grasping his arm. "Well?" he pressed.

The smile that tugged at her lips as she looked up at him made him want to kiss her right there and then but he shook the thought off immediately; there was no way he was going to ruin their newfound friendship with a foolish act like that. She answered him at last. "He said you weren't like any of the other replacements, that you were a good guy and that you lived up to your name"

That made Babe smile widely. He made a mental note to thank Bill for his words later, incredibly pleased. "It's not my real name, y'know," he then blurted out hoarsely, regretting the words as soon as they had left his mouth. He had given Eugene hell that one time the medic had used his first name, and now he had voluntarily admitted to a girl that Babe was not his real name.

Emilie stopped mid-step, surprise evident on her pale face. "It's Edward. Edward Heffron" Babe told her quietly, cheeks reddening. She did not say anything, instead tugging on his arm as they continued to walk. Silence stretched out between them, interrupted only by the sound of their footsteps and Babe's coughing.

"Edward is a nice name," Emilie murmured at last. Babe wanted to interrupt with a _"no it's not" _but she wasn't done yet. "I like Babe better though, it suits you."

He let out a hearty laugh that turned into a gasp when it made him cough again. "Are you implying that you think I'm a babe?" he asked cheekily through the pain induced tears in his eyes. Emilie's hand found his back as she rubbed circles on his back, telling him softly to breathe in and out slowly. He could tell by the small gesture that she was a good nurse. "Mostly I'm just trying to say that I think you're a real sweetheart," she mumbled, a blush creeping up her neck that could easily match the color of Babe's hair. He was so surprised by the comment and its meaning that he was at loss for words, mouth opening and closing a few times.

"I do have a terribly temper though," he said at last. Emilie simply laughed. "Don't we all?"

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_**Let me know in a review what you think!**_


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